It was confirmed today that David Haye and Dereck Chisora’s heavyweight showdown on July 14th will be for the WBO International and WBA Intercontinental titles. The pair meet in one of the most eagerly awaited heavyweight fights in recent years at West Ham United’s Boleyn Ground in East London.

Also confirmed by promoter Frank Warren for the “Licensed To Thrill” card is Alexander Povetkin’s WBA world heavyweight title defense against former champion Hasim Rahman on the show which will be sanctioned by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation. It had been expected that that bout would be moved to Germany after threats to ban all involved in the Haye-Chisora promotion by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Paco Valcarcel, president of the WBO, said, “We have to go ahead and approve the fight. The Luxembourg Boxing Federation is a member of the WBO and the problem is between the LBF and the British Boxing Board of Control, not the LBF and the WBO.”

The British Boxing Board of Control are both affiliated with WBO and WBA organizations.

Current WBA interim super lightweight world champion Johan Perez (15-0-1, 12 KOs) and unbeaten former amateur standout Julian Ramirez (2-0, 2 KOs) have signed multi-year promotional agreements with Golden Boy Promotions

“This is a big day for us and I’m proud to have these two boxers fighting for us now,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Boxing will never grow if we don’t keep cultivating new talent and in Johan and Julian, we’ve signed two fighters that you’re going to be hearing a lot about in the months and years to come.”

British Light Welterweight king Ashley Theophane will face Darren Hamilton on Saturday night at Aintree Racecourse after Steve Williams pulled out of their scheduled bout on Monday.

Hamilton is a decent opponent who holds a record of 11 wins against 2 losses and is currently riding a three fight unbeaten streak while Ashley is currently enjoying the best form of his career which as left him unbeaten from the latter part of 2010.

If Ashley was to win on the weekend he will win the Lonsdale title outright.

Promoter Frank Maloney wanted to match Ashley with Adil Anwar who is a fighter also on the undercard for Saturday night but was one which was turned down by Ashley.

“I wanted to make Ashley against Adil, which would have been a tremendous fight" said Maloney "Unfortunately Ashley didn’t want it and although that is disappointing I cannot force him into a fight.

“He will fight Darren who won’t make it easy in his quest to win a Lonsdale belt and I am sure fans will see a good contest.

“Darren was in training for a Southern Area title defence, and deserves a lot of credit for stepping up to the plate.”

There are some tickets available priced at £95 (ringside), £75 (main floor) and £55 (floor) from www.frankmaloney.com

Photos: Chris Farina / Top Rank

David Haye has picked the wrong comeback opponent in Dereck Chisora according to former British heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

Haye is scheduled to face Chisora at Upton Park on July 14 in his first comeback since his damaging points loss at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko last year.

David retired from the sport four months later, but will now return in order to settle a score with Dereck Chisora, who he went head to head with in a press-conference brawl in Munich during February.

Although David will start as the betting favourite on the night Tyson Fury has warned Haye that he is in for a tough evening in East London. "The reason that David Haye is coming back is to prove he's a man," Fury told BoxRec News. "To prove he has a pair of what's down there. He wasn't a man against Klitschko.

"And because he needs to prove he's a man, he's going to have to get involved in a tear up with Dereck Chisora. Getting involved with Dereck Chisora is the wrong thing to do - and Haye will lose."

British Light Welterweight king Ashley Theophane's defence against Steve Williams is off after Williams pulled out of Saturday's bout with a reported injury. This now leaves Ashley without an opponent as promoter Frank Maloney works behind the scenes to get a replacement to save the undercard. Here is the tweet Ashley left his followers yesterday on the social networking website twitter

Dear Fans, No one was more shocked and upset by the cancellation of next week’s fight than me. I had been training hard for almost eight weeks and was ready to put on a dazzling performance and win my belts back. I know many of you purchased tickets for the fight and had planned to make the trip to Las Vegas next weekend. For any inconvenience or hardship this cancellation has caused, I am truly sorry. We’re working hard to schedule my next fight for some time during the early summer in the States and hope that you can find a way to reschedule your arrangements and come out support me with the enthusiasm that you always do. As you know, I always perform at my best when my fans are rooting me on. Thanks as always for your support.

–Amir Khan

Team Peterson is very disappointed and distraught by the decision to cancel the May 19th rematch against Amir Khan. This is an extremely difficult decision to accept. We have always taken the position of providing factual information rather than responding emotionally to rumors and innuendoes. We did everything that was asked of us in efforts to comply. To support our stance we provided the Nevada State Athletic Commission with a significant amount of factual medical data in response to these allegations. Lamont did a battery of tests this week and saw a number of independent board certified physicians. They all had the exact same conclusion as the doctor that initially treated and diagnosed Lamont’s medical condition. It began as a confidential medical matter between a patient and his physician; unfortunately, it has now become a public issue in efforts to clear the name and reputation of this young man.

We will vigorously pursue the truth with regards to this matter and continue to fight to protect this young man’s character, credibility and all he has accomplished. Once all the facts have been reviewed we have no doubt that he will be vindicated.

–TEAM PETERSON

It has come to the attention of the Stewards of the British Boxing Board of Control that the Luxembourg Boxing Federation is considering putting on a promotion within the jurisdiction of the Board between Dereck Chisora and David Haye. The Stewards condemn any attempt by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation to do so.

Dereck Chisora has recently had his licence withdrawn by the Stewards of the British Boxing Board of Control on the ground that he is not a fit and proper person to hold a boxer’s licence. David Haye does not hold a boxer’s licence with the British Boxing Board of Control. If he applied for a licence his fitness to hold a licence would have to be considered, particularly in light of the part he played in what occurred at the press conference held subsequent to the Vitali Klitschko v Dereck Chisora contest.

Those behind this proposal are not concerned with the interests of the sport of professional boxing. Any member who participates in such a promotion would bring the sport of boxing into disrepute and would wholly undermine the authority of the British Boxing Board of Control, of which he/she is a member, as the regulatory body for professional boxing in the United Kingdom. This is nothing more than an attempt to circumvent the decision of the Stewards of the British Boxing Board of Control, in respect of Dereck Chisora, for monetary gain. Dereck Chisora’s proper remedy is by way of appeal to the Independent Stewards of Appeal, which is due to take place on the 2nd July 2012.

The British Boxing Board of Control has controlled and regulated professional boxing in the United Kingdom since 1929. Its primary concern is the safety of the boxer and its regulations have been developed and implemented accordingly. It has also ensured that the rules of boxing are enforced to the highest standard. Its reputation as a regulatory body is second to none within the wider boxing world. It can only act effectively with the consent and support of its members.

The Articles of Association (the “Constitution”) of the British Boxing Board of Control, to which every member has agreed to be bound, make it perfectly clear that the object of the British Boxing Board of Control is to control and regulate boxing in the United Kingdom. Any member of the British Boxing Board of Control who participates in any way in a promotion such as that referred to above would thereby evince an intention not to be bound by the Constitution of the British Boxing Board of Control and would act in a manner wholly incompatible therewith. In such circumstances the British Boxing Board of Control would accept that member’s repudiation of the Constitution as terminating his/her membership of the British Boxing Board of Control and his/her licence.

The British Boxing Board of Control has made its position clear to the Luxembourg Boxing Federation, the European Boxing Union and World Sanctioning Organisations and has already received strong support for its stance. As stated above, the British Boxing Board of Control does not approve of such a promotion taking place within its jurisdiction and will not supply any of its officials to officiate at such a promotion. For the avoidance of doubt, any member of the British Boxing Board of Control who participates in any way in such a promotion will be deemed to have terminated his/her membership of the British Boxing Board of Control and his/her licence therewith, for the reasons stated above.

Further, the Stewards of the British Boxing Board of Control make it clear that the British Boxing Board of Control will assume no responsibility in respect of any aspect of such promotion and any participation therein would not be covered by any insurance policy taken out by the Board.

Participation includes taking any steps directly or indirectly, to arrange, advertise, broadcast, facilitate, officiate or take part in any way in such a promotion.

R. W. SMITH
General Secretary

Lamont Peterson v Amir Khan is officially cancelled according to Amir's twitter account where he wrote the following:

Lamont Peterson was found to have tested positive for a substance consistent with a steroid after both A and B samples failed the test.

European Middleweight Champion Kerry Hope will make the first defence of his title on July 7th where he will step back into the ring with former titleholder Grzegorz Proska at the motorpoint arena in Sheffield.

The bout will one of a packed roster at the motorpoint which will be headlined by the return of Kell Brook and will also witness the defence of another European title when lightweight champion Gavin Rees takes on Derry Matthews

Tickets for this great card will go on sale shortly.

Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer today spoke to reporters about the May 19 Lamont Peterson vs. Amir Khan world title fight:

Schaefer stated that Dr. Margaret Goodman’s VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) informed the Nevada Commission that WBA super lightweight champion Peterson has tested positive for a substance consistent with a steroid. Both A and B samples failed the test.

The Commission will make a ruling on whether the fight is on or off after they hear Team Peterson’s explanation.

Schaefer said Peterson was randomly tested on April 12 and the VADA conducted the A Sample test on April 13. Peterson and the Nevada Commission were informed, however Golden Boy and Team Khan were not. The B Sample wasn’t tested until April 30.

David Haye and Dereck Chisora will fight in London on July 14, five months after a brawl between the British heavyweights led authorities to strip Chisora of his boxing license.

The fight at West Ham soccer club will be sanctioned by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation. The British Boxing Board of Control refused to get involved because neither fighter has a license.

Haye relinquished his last year to retire following the loss of his WBA title to Wladimir Klitschko.

Chisora's manager, Frank Warren, says his fighter "will be out of action for six months and will lose money. Why should he not make a living?"

Chisora brawled with Haye during the news conference after losing to WBC champion Vitali Klitschko in Munich on Feb. 19.

The Sun Newspaper is today reporting that the rematch between IBF/WBA Junior Welterweight champion Lamont Peterson and former champion Amir Khan slated for Saturday, May 19 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is “on the brink of being called off.” The newspaper is not giving a reason as to why the bout may be cancelled but quotes a source close to the Khan camp as saying “everything is up in the air and Amir is just hoping it can be resolved as he knew he was going to regain his belts in spectacular fashion.”

ESPN.com in another report are claiming Peterson may have failed a recent drug test and that may be the reason for the pending cancellation. Apparently an attorney for Peterson is saying that he tested positive for a “banned substance.”

The following is a statement from Andre Johnson, a spokesperson for the Peterson camp:

“We have tremendous respect for VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency) and its mission. Lamont, Barry and the entire team emphatically support random drug testing in the most comprehensive manner possible. We are working expeditiously with a team of pathologists and other medical specialists to confirm the origin of the test result and in full compliance with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

“Lamont has never had a positive drug test either before or after this isolated occurrence and we plan to submit the medical findings by close of business Tuesday reflecting the actual facts in support of Lamont’s good faith intentions and the requirements of the commission.”

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR VS MIGUEL COTTO - MGM GRAND, LAS VEGAS

Paul Daley's Pick: This wont be a walk in the park that some have been suggesting and I believe both will leave this contest knowing they had been in a hard, tough physical encounter. Mayweather obviously will start a big favorite with the bookmakers with the decision being that with the lowest odds, His speed will give Miguel problems for sure where I would think he will keep his distance while keeping to the outside using two and three punch combinations to stifle the rhythm of Cotto while targeting the soft issue around Miguel's eyes which have opened throughout various fights and is a small chink in the Puerto Rican's armour. Miguel like Antonio Tarver as stated on the run up to the fight will need to have the perfect game plan which will also need to execute perfectly if he is to win, Miguel is a warrior in every sense of the word, one who very rarely takes a backward step so you can guarantee he will be in Floyd's face for as long as the fight lasts, plus remember Miguel is a natural 154 pounder so he will be the bigger man in there come fight time. I unlike perhaps some see this as a very competitive bout which goes the distance. Look for Miguel to try and get inside on Floyd where he is most comfortable if he can do this early I see him up on the scorecards going into the middle rounds, from here though I see Floyd dominating the second half with his quick hands and even quicker footwork to win a tight twelve round decision - Floyd Mayweather by Majority Decision

Dan Foley's Pick: Floyd Mayweather will once again put his undefeated record on the line Saturday night against the hard hitting Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.  Cotto looks a different fighter since his loss to Pacquiao & now seems to have his confidence back, racking up 3 straight victories since that loss which included a dismantling of Antonio Margarito to avenge the 1st loss of his career. Miguel's trainer definitely looks to have his fighter in top shape going into this fight going off of the 24/7 specials.  However we all know Mayweather will also be in great shape, which should make for an entertaining bout.  I think this will be a very tough fight for Cotto, he does possess the power to hurt Floyd, but I think Mayweather's speed & defensive skills will prove too much to overcome & he'll walk away with a wide unanimous decision - Floyd Mayweather by Unanimous Decision

SAUL ALVAREZ VS SHANE MOSELY - MGM GRAND, LAS VEGAS

Paul Daley's Pick: The undercard will feature a potential great vs a certified legend, WBC champion Saul Alvarez has looked sensational throughout his career embracing the warrior mentality of his fellow countrymen of Mexico but this will be his most difficult assignment yet, former three weight world champion Shane Mosely knows this maybe his last chance at winning a world title with his career somewhat deteriorating as of late with losses to both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. If Shane is to win this encounter I believe it will have to be early, we have seen Alvarez rocked by a less potent puncher in Jose Cotto and If Shane gets the opportunity it could be game over, That being said I have confidence that Saul will weather a early storm before getting a foothold in the contest where he will become stronger as every round passes leaving Shane like he did in the Pacquiao contest out of ideas and behind on the judges scorecards - Saul Alvarez by wide unanimous decision.